Breach of Indian Seafarers Human Rights & their Abandonment

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Breach of Indian Seafarers Human Rights & their Abandonment MT Ocean Pride IMO 8520989 - Offshore UAE Flag: Panama Crew Evidence and Impact Statements Initial Report: 2 July 2017 We are totally

1 Breach of Indian Seafarers Human Rights & their Abandonment MT Ocean Pride IMO Offshore UAE Flag: Panama Crew Evidence and Impact Statements Initial Report: 2 July 2017 We are totally unsafe here this is a dead ship. Sea water is leaking in the engine room no facilities rusty water. If anything happens we will not survive. All will be dead Please send us home. Disclaimer The content and facts within this investigative report and case study has been freely obtained from voluntarily personal testimony that has been checked, as best as is reasonably possible, by Human Rights at Sea ( the charity ) both at the time of writing, and before publishing. The reporting is ongoing and maybe updated. All quotes, pictures and diagrams have been acknowledged where able and any omissions, or factual inaccuracies may be immediately alerted by writing to: enquiries@humanrightsatsea.org. Any opinions, perspectives and comments are those of the charity. Where necessary [ xxxxx ] redacted text is inserted to protect seafarers identities. This report may contain graphic images, and which are viewed at the sole discretion of the reader. The charity does not accept any liability, whatsoever, howsoever asserted, in any jurisdiction. The charity always works in good faith as an independent maritime human rights defender, following our founding principle that human rights apply at sea as equally as they do on land and based on core values of transparency, clarity and accountability.

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 4 VESSEL INFORMATION 4 THE CURRENT SITUATION 4 STAKEHOLDERS 5 ISSUES 5 SAFETY ON BOARD THE MT OCEAN PRIDE 5 REFUSED ACCESS TO MEDICAL TREATMENT 5 FOOD AND WATER 6 NON-PAYMENT OF WAGES AND DETENTION ON BOARD 6 DEPENDENTS 6 CREW IMPACT STATEMENT 7 ANNEX 1 - LETTER OF ISSUES FROM THE CREW 9 ANNEX 2 XXXXXX (OS) SIGNOFF LETTER 10 ANNEX 3 XXXXXX XXXXXX (OILER) SIGNOFF LETTER 11 ANNEX 4 XXXXX XXXXX (AB) SIGNOFF LETTER 12 ANNEX 5 XXXXXX (OILER) SIGNOFF LETTER 13 ANNEX 6 XXXX XXXXX (OS) SIGNOFF LETTER 14 ANNEX 7 XXX XXXXX XXXXXX (OILER) SIGNOFF LETTER 15 ANNEX 8 OUT OF DATE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS ONBOARD 16 ANNEX 9 WATER PROVIDED FOR THE CREW S DAY TO DAY USE 17 ANNEX 10 DRINKING WATER NO ANNEX 11 DRINKING WATER NO

3 ANNEX 12 SHIP CONDITION SAFETY DAVIT FOR LIFEBOAT 20 ANNEX 13 SEA WATER LEAKING INTO THE MT OCEAN PRIDE 21 ANNEX 14 CONSOLIDATED ED STATEMENT FROM XXXX XXXXX 22 3

4 INTRODUCTION INVESTIGATIVE REPORT & CASE STUDY [Facts are correct at time of writing based on submitted evidence and testimony.] - The crew of the MT Ocean Pride are currently stranded on an increasingly dangerous vessel, anchored off the coast of UAE. The MT Ocean Pride is an oil/chemical tanker owned by Alco Shipping Services LLC. - The crew of the MT Ocean Pride ( the crew ) have had their basic human rights breached, with a lack of liberty, lack of protection for their health and bodily integrity, lack of protection for their right to life, and lack of family life due to their retention on the MT Ocean Pride. - Throughout their ordeal, the crew have been denied access to proper and timely medical treatment. They have not been provided with suitable facilities, food, water, or medical supplies, and their health and wellbeing has been severely damaged as a result. - Despite the intervention of the Indian Consulate in Dubai, at the time of writing, the crew remain unable to leave their vessel, and without access to suitable food and water. VESSEL INFORMATION Vessel Name: MT Ocean Pride IMO Number: Flag: Panama Owner: Alco Shipping Services LLC Vessel location: Latitude: 25* N Longitude: 055* E, off UAE coast Crew: o One Pakistani crew o Six Indian crew o One Bangladeshi crew o One Sri Lankan crew THE CURRENT SITUATION - The crew of the MT Ocean Pride have been let in a dangerous vessel, with insufficient personal safety equipment and facilities. - At least three members of the crew are suffering from health problems and serious injuries, and have been repeatedly denied access to timely medical treatment. - Furthermore, the crew are also suffering from poisoning as a result of eating and drinking contaminated food and water, a situation which Alco Shipping have consistently failed to remedy. - Despite repeated requests for help, the crew s correspondence has been ignored, and their salaries not paid for 25 months. 4

5 - With their passports confiscated, and increasing debt, the crew have been left stranded in an increasingly hazardous situation. STAKEHOLDERS - Owners. The MT Ocean Pride belongs to Alco Shipping Services LLC. The crew have been in contact with the company attempting to organise their signoff and the provision of much needed medical facilities and food. The delayed response by the company has already proved costly to the wellbeing and safety of the crew. - Diplomatic. The crew have been in contact with the Indian Consulate in Dubai, who are facilitating contact with the crew s families. The Consulate also claim to have unsuccessfully offered to arrange food and water for the water for the crew, though this has not yet been confirmed. - Welfare. Support has been supplied by Human Rights at Sea and Justice Upheld. It is understood that ITF is aware of the case, as well as other local welfare organisations. ISSUES Safety on board the MT Ocean Pride - The safety of the MT Ocean Pride s crew has been seriously compromised by the insufficient safety equipment on board and the condition of the vessel. - There is insufficient Personal Protective Equipment on board, and the life rafts and fire extinguishers that are available have expired. In addition, the life boats are rusted and not safe to use, and the davits are in poor condition. - Seawater is allegedly leaking into the engine room. While the crew have attempted a temporary blockage of the leak. See Annex 13 - water leaking into the vessel. Refused access to medical treatment - On 21 April 2017, the MT Ocean Pride s Chief Engineer s thumb was crushed in a door. The only medical provisions on board were bandages and Betadine (a painkiller), leaving the crew completely unable to stop the bleeding, let alone properly treat the injury. - After four days, Alco Shipping provided further painkillers and bandages, but by this time the thumb was already turning black and clearly infected. Only eleven days later, on 02 May 2017, the company sent a vessel to take the engineer to hospital, by which time the thumb needed to be amputated. - Similarly, another crew member developed a severe scalp infection, creating large pustules leaking yellow fluid. Alco shipping initially refused to assist, requiring him to pay 250 for a ferry to take him, a far larger sum than he could afford. Alco 5

6 Shipping left the infection to worsen for some time before finally sending the antibiotics that allowed him to recover. Food and water - Three members of the crew are suffering from poisoning as a result of eating and drinking contaminated food and water. The crew have consistently been provided with insufficient food, typically only lasting for 15 days of each month, and the food they have been provided with is consistently of an insufficient standard - The crew are also using rusty water for daily use. This clearly unsuitable water is further aggravating the health problems onboard, and has not been remedied despite Alco Shipping being informed of the situation. Non-payment of wages and detention on board - While the crew s original contracts were for only 12 months, they have now been unable to leave their vessel and without pay for the past 25 months. In addition, all of their correspondence and communications with the company during this time have been ignored. - The crew s passports were removed from their sign-on date, and have not been returned despite repeated requests. The crew have all been requesting their signoff consistently for the last 5 months with no reply. The crew are desperately anxious to be repatriated to their respective countries. Dependents - Family dependents are a key concern for the crew, who have been consistently denied contract with their families. This has been particularly aggravated by a number of factors. - One member of the crew was intending to get married, but has consistently been refused leave in order to attend a ceremony. Indeed, his wedding date has been arranged and cancelled several times. - Several crew members have lost parents and relatives during the past 25 months, and have been denied leave to attend their funerals. - Several Indian members of the crew are desperate for their respective families not to find out about their plight, and have gone into severe and increasing debt attempting to cover up their non-payment of wages. 6

7 CREW IMPACT STATEMENT NB: This statement has been selectively reproduced. Original statements are held by Human Rights at Sea. [QUOTE] We are 6 Indian crew working on vessel M.T. Ocean Pride having IMO NO Registered under Alco Shipping Services LLC A3Man UAE. We are facing lot of problems. i) No salary from date of joining ii) Food problem: we are not get good food & that also finished within 15 days every month iii) Water problem: we are using rusty water for daily use that also finished now iv) Medical problem: we have no medicines onboard. Some crew members are suffering from some problem but no one taking any action neither captain (or) owner v) Passports: they taken our passports from date of joining vi) Signoff: we are requested them for signoff from last 5 month but no reply vii) Anchor: we are on anchorage from date of joining but we come to know from other vessels of company and old crews that this ship is on anchor from last 3 year viii) Zero safety: here everything is expired like fire extinguishers, life raft, life boats. Sea water is also leaking in Engine Room but they temporary blocked it ix) Dead ship: This ship is totally dead. We are working here as slaves and no one is thinking about us x) No facilities: here no fans, AC or anything onboard. So that we cannot sleep well we are sleeping under lifeboats or alleyway during day and night sometime we couldn t complete sleep whole day xi) Ship is totally rusty as we already send you picture of the ships if anything happen we will not survive. All will be dead. First day we saw that Captain has big pimples on his head & yellow material was coming from it. Day & night time that situation was to view in front of us. Captain asked to [owner] please give me medical treatment but company never treatment for you. Then after [sometime] company send him antibiotic, but it taken some weeks for recover. On Chief Engineer came outside from his Cabin. He was holding his door. Suddenly door come with two much speed in which his half thumb was crushed between door. Chief Officer applied some Betadine & bandages so that blood stop but that was totally impossible. Chief Engineer was crying whole night. 7

8 He is a brave man he tolerated with that pain for 4 days. Then Company [sent] some pain killer & bandages. But when we tried to give him new dressing he again started crying. His wound started smelling badly & we saw his thumb skin started becoming black. Then on owner send one boat for Chief Engineer Medical because [a crew member] threatened to owner if you will not provide medical to this engineer I will not bring any Sri Lankan Crew. 8

9 ANNEX 1 - LETTER OF ISSUES FROM THE CREW NB: This statement has been reproduced word-for-word without corrections. Original statements are held by Human Rights at Sea. Dear MAM, We are 6 Indian crew working on vessel M.T. Ocean Pride having IMO NO Registered under Alco Shipping Services LLC A3Man UAE. We are facing lot of problems. 1. No salary from date of joining 2. Food problem: we are not get good food & that also finished within 15 days every month 3. Water problem: we are using rusty water for daily use that also finished now 4. Medical problem: we have no medicines onboard. Some crew members are suffering from some problem but no one taking any action neither captain (or) owner 5. Passports: they taken our passports from date of joining 6. Signoff: we are requested them for signoff from last 5 month but no reply 7. Anchor: we are on anchorage from date of joining but we come to know from other vessels of company and old crews that this ship is on anchor from last 3 year 8. Zero safety: here everything is expired like fire extinguishers, life raft, life boats. Sea water is also leaking in Engine Room but they temporary blocked it 9. Dead ship: This ship is totally dead. We are working here as slaves and no one is thinking about us 10. No facilities: here no fans, AC or anything onboard. So that we cannot sleep well we are sleeping under lifeboats or alleyway during day and night sometime we couldn t complete sleep whole day 11. Ship is totally rusty as we already send you picture of the ships if anything happen we will not survive. All will be dead So MAM in all we are requesting you to please send us home. We are totally unsafe here this is totally dead ship no engine working no cargo & on same location. Latitude: 25* N Crew Name Longitude: 055* E Crew Signature 1. XXXXXXXX 1. XXXXXXXX 2. XXXXXXXX 2. XXXXXXXX 3. XXXXXXXX 3. XXXXXXXX 4. XXXXXXXX 4. XXXXXXXX 5. XXXXXXXX 5. XXXXXXXX 6. XXXXXXXX 6. XXXXXXXX 9

10 ANNEX 2 XXXXXX (OS) SIGNOFF LETTER NB: This statement has been reproduced word-for-word without corrections. Original statements are held by Human Rights at Sea. Date 13 April 2017 To The Owner Alco Shipping & Services A3Man SUB: SIGNOFF REQUEST WITH 45 DAYS NOTICE PERIOD Respected Sir: I am XXXXXX OS working on your vessel MT OCEAN PRIDE my joining was of This is to request you to consider my 45 days notice period started from today and arranging my signoff after completion of notice period. My details are as follows: Vessel name: MT OCEAN PRIDE Name: XXXXXXXXXX Rank: OS Joining date: 25 August 2016 Thank you Yours faithfully XXXXXXX 10

11 ANNEX 3 XXXXXX XXXXXX (OILER) SIGNOFF LETTER NB: This statement has been reproduced word-for-word without corrections. Original statements are held by Human Rights at Sea. To The owner Alco Shipping A3Man Sub:- Notice period for signoff Respected Sir, My name is XXXXX XXXXX working as oiler on your vessel OCEAN PRIDE my sign-on date is 25-AUG-2016 I already given you requests for signoff with all crew on 25-APRIL So Sir I am requesting you to please arrange my signoff. Thanking you Your s faithfully XXXXX XXXXX (oiler) 11

12 ANNEX 4 XXXXX XXXXX (AB) SIGNOFF LETTER NB: This statement has been reproduced word-for-word without corrections. Original statements are held by Human Rights at Sea. DATE To OWNER Alco Shipping & Services A3Man SUB:- SIGNOFF REQUEST WITH 2 MONTH NOTICE PERIOD Respected Sir, My name is XXXXX XXXXX working on your vessel Ocean Pride as AB my sign on date is I am elder son of my family and married. I have a baby also from date of joining till now I did not send a single rupees to my family. I borrow too much money from relatives to support my family but now condition of my family become too much bad. My family is also going through many personal problems. So Sir please understand my situation and its humble request to you. Please arrange my signoff till end of my notice period with my salary. Thank you Your s faithfully XXXX XXXXX Copy to: Port Captain 12

13 ANNEX 5 XXXXXX (OILER) SIGNOFF LETTER NB: This statement has been reproduced word-for-word without corrections. Original statements are held by Human Rights at Sea To Mr Hassan Alco Shipping Services A3Man Respected Sub: REQUEST FOR MY SIGN OFF My name is XXXXXX (oiler) working on your vessel M.T. OCEAN PRIDE. I already inform aobut my father problem for my sign off on this (sic. these) dates , , I will again remind for you Sir now my father too much pain inside the leg, my mother call me now and she said if your (sic. you re) not coming to operation. I will make suicide here if anything happen to mother. Definitely I will also making something here because my mind totally off and you know him how parents more important in our life I am only one son. So please understand my situation you also having family and if you save my family definitely God will help you Sir and please arrange my signoff as soon as possible with my salary I need my salary for my father operation. Thank you Your s faithfully XXXXXXX 13

14 ANNEX 6 XXXX XXXXX (OS) SIGNOFF LETTER NB: This statement has been reproduced word-for-word without corrections. Original statements are held by Human Rights at Sea. Date 27 April 2017 To The Owner Alco Shipping A3Man Sub:- Notice Period for Signoff Respected Sir My name is XXX XXXXX working as O.S. on your vessel Ocean Pride. My Sign-on date is 25-Aug I already given you request for Signoff with all crew on 25-April So Sir I am requesting you to please arrange my signoff. Thanking you. Yours faithfully XXXX XXXX (OS) 14

15 ANNEX 7 XXX XXXXX XXXXXX (OILER) SIGNOFF LETTER NB: This statement has been reproduced word-for-word without corrections. Original statements are held by Human Rights at Sea. 13/April/2017 To The Port Captain Alco Shipping & Services A3Man Subject: Signoff request with 45 days notice period Respected Sir: I am XXX XXXX XXXX rank oiler working on your vessel MT Ocean Pride. My joining was of 25 th August This is to request you to consider my 45 days notice period started from today and arrange my signoff after completion of notice period. My details are as follows - Ship name: MT OCEAN PRIDE - Name: XXXXXXXXXXX - Rank: Oiler - CDC-No: XXXXXXX - Joining date: 25 th August 2016 Yours faithfully XXX XXXXXX XXXXX Forwarded through Chief Engineer MT Ocean Pride 15

16 ANNEX 8 OUT OF DATE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS ONBOARD 16

17 ANNEX 9 WATER PROVIDED FOR THE CREW S DAY TO DAY USE 17

18 ANNEX 10 DRINKING WATER No. 1 18

19 ANNEX 11 DRINKING WATER No. 2 19

20 ANNEX 12 SHIP CONDITION SAFETY DAVIT FOR LIFEBOAT 20

21 ANNEX 13 SEA WATER LEAKING INTO THE MT OCEAN PRIDE 21

22 ANNEX 14 CONSOLIDATED ED STATEMENT FROM XXXX XXXXX NB: This consolidated statement has been transcribed from ed statements. Original statements are held by Human Rights at Sea. Here many peoples suffering from medical problem. Till now we are only sending letters for signoff, medical problems etc, but no one thinking for us. There are 3 more crew onboard. Captain, cook & electrician. They are also witness of these problems but they will not go against Company Captain. Captain 23 month, cook 27 month, electrician 12 month completed. We are also not sharing anything with them because if we will them anything they will tell whole matter to company or owner with extra Masala. We already sended you a letter in which we highlighted our problems. Please send us home. This is our request to you. We are fed up of all fake promises, facilities etc. as compared to other ships. So please send us home as soon as possible. Our 5 peoples joining date is & XXXXXX his joining date is XXXXX (OS), XXXXXX (Oiler) & XXXXXX (Oiler) on date XXXX & XXXX was on Bridge Watch & XXXXX was on Engine watch. At that day sea was very rough rolling, pitching was happening too much. 3:00 AM was blackout timing. Chief Engineer ( XXXX) come outside from his Cabin. He was holding his door. Suddenly door come with two much speed in which his half thumb was crushed between door. Time was 02:45 AM. Arjoon came downside to see why this sound came. On reaching 4 th floor he saw too much blood is on floor. Then he saw Chief Engineer. He was holded his thumb & crying. Then he, XXX, wake up Captain & Chief Officer. Chief Officer ( (XXXXX XXXXXX) he is now transferred to Azab) he applied some Betadine & bandages so that blood stop but that was totally impossible. Chief Engineer was crying whole night. But what we could do, we only asked him everything will be fine. He is a brave man he tolerated with that pain for 4 days. Then Company sended some pain killer & bandages. But when we tried to give him new dressing he again started crying. His wound started smelling badly & we aw his thumb skin started becoming black. 30 th May in morning when we woke up we saw that they are tieing 3 barrels to make off rope with electrician. At 12 PM they lower down case to to port (but on same day we came to know through captain that owner filed a case against Engineer and he is in link with coast guard). But they fell down in water & Electrician lost all his documents, laptop, mobile. At that time we was afraid too much and we asked to Captain please arrange our signoff on but till now no reply, no signoff. 22

23 Then on on Port Engineer (Sri Lankan) request owner send one boat for Chief Engineer Medical because Port Engineer threatened to owner if you will not provide medical to this engineer I will not bring any Sri Lankan Crew. After that Port Engineer came with company crew boat & taken him to land. After reaching land, Doctor said that this thumb is swollen & unable to cure so we need to cut it. If you came after this accident or within one day we would save your finder. From date of joining we are seeing lot of problems onboard. First day we saw that Captain has big pimples on his head & yellow material was coming from it. Day & night time that situation was to view in front of us. Captain asked to Port Captain please give me medical treatment but company never treatment for you. Then after some day company send him antibiotic, but it taken some weeks for recover. XXXX XXXX (Deck Cadet), XXXX XXXX XXXX (AB), XXXXX (Engine Cadet) on when we woke up we saw that Chief Engineer was injured then our crew member explained this happened last night. Signed: XXXX XXXX XXXXX XXXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXXX XXXXX XXXXX XXX XXXXXX 23

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24 Supported by: T R A N S PA R E N C Y C L A R I T Y A C C O U N TA B I L I T Y Human Rights at Sea Langstone Technology Park Langstone Road HAVANT PO9 1SA United Kingdom Human Rights at Sea All Rights Reserved

Ship particulars. Type: General Cargo GT: IMO-company: IMO no.: Date Keel laid: Delivery date:

Ship particulars. Type: General Cargo GT: IMO-company: IMO no.: Date Keel laid: Delivery date: Ship particulars Name: ALI B Flag: Belize Type: General Cargo GT: 5451 Class: RMRS RO: RMRS INSB IMO-company: 5599422 IMO no.: 8418253 Date Keel laid: 30.08.1984 Delivery date: 27.06.1985 The general cargo